Name: Start Early, Stand Out: Building Early Scholarship Success + Essay Writing Essentials
Start: 2026-06-10T13:35:00-0400
End: 2026-06-10T14:35:00-0400

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Start Early, Stand Out: Building Early Scholarship Success + Essay Writing Essentials

Wednesday June 10, 2026 1:35pm - 2:35pm EDT

Elm 214

Teacher and poet, Joaquín Zihuatanejo designed this workshop to empower 9th through 12th grade students with early awareness strategies that build a strong foundation for future scholarship success. Through academics, leadership, and community involvement—we will explore and strategize how to become a competitive scholarship candidate by senior year. The session also highlights essential scholarship essay writing techniques, including how to craft authentic stories, respond effectively to prompts, and stand out to selection committees. Workshop attendees will gain practical tools to organize achievements, identify opportunities, and develop compelling personal narratives over time without falling into the trap of the language of the brag. By inspiring students to start early and write with purpose, we can better prepare students to access and maximize financial aid for college. That’s the key goal of this workshop experience. Sound intimidating? It won’t be, as award-winning teacher and published author, Joaquín Zihuatanejo will be there to guide you along the way.

Speakers

Joaquin Zihuatanejo

Poet | Author | Speaker, CoolSpeak

“We breathe inspiration, like living poems, into our students.”Joaquín Zihuatanejo is an author, poet, spoken word artist, and award-winning teacher. Born and raised in the barrio of East Dallas, Joaquín expertly captures the duality of the Chicano culture.He’s captivated thousands with his honest depiction of barrio life.He’s authored a number of books including... Read More →

Wednesday June 10, 2026 1:35pm - 2:35pm EDT
Elm 214

Breakout Sessions, Affiliate Partner Session

Academic Innovation Conference 2026

Joaquin Zihuatanejo

Attendees (4)

Get help with the event

Academic Innovation Conference 2026

Joaquin Zihuatanejo

Attendees (4)

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